The on-going Wafu Under 20 football competition holding in the oil-rich region of Delta State, Nigeria, has been dealt a big blow by the death of a referee in a fatal road accident on Wednesday evening.

The deceased was identified as Adigun Ojio-Oba, a FIFA badged Nigerian referee who is also a younger brother to the general secretary of the Nigeria Football Association. Three Mauritanian match officials escaped the accident with serious injuries.

The officials were returning from Warri town where they officiated a WAFU Group A match between Benin Republic and Togo when the tyre of the speeding vehicle carrying them busted resulting in the crash that also left the driver with a broken hand.

Dove Deme, an Ivorian referee who confirmed the incident to Observer Sports, said: "I could not believe it when I first heard the news because I was together Adigun Ojio-Oba [deceased) few minutes before left with the other referees. It is very sad news for not only the referees' committee but the whole Wafu family."

While praying for deceased's soul to rest in peace, the visibly-shocked Ivorian referee also prayed for rapid recovery of his hospitalized Mauritanian colleagues